Card signed by Salmon P. Chase with portrait - 1866? dated Autograph

Card with portrait signed by Salmon P. Chase.

Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was a prominent American politician and jurist who held the position of the sixth Chief Justice of the United States from 1864 until his death in 1873. He served as the 23rd Governor of Ohio from 1856 to 1860, represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 1849 to 1855 and again in 1861, and was the 25th United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1861 to 1864 under President Abraham Lincoln. Chase is notable for being one of the few American politicians to have held significant roles in all three branches of the federal government, in addition to occupying the highest office at the state level. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he was regarded as a potential candidate for the presidency.

Chase sought the Republican nomination for president during the 1860 election; however, the party ultimately selected Abraham Lincoln at its National Convention. Following Lincoln's election victory, he invited Chase to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. In this role, which he held from 1861 to 1864, Chase worked diligently to secure adequate financing for the Union during the Civil War. He resigned from the Cabinet in June 1864 but maintained strong support among the Radical Republicans. To placate this faction, Lincoln nominated Chase to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Chief Justice Roger Taney's death. Chase served as Chief Justice from 1864 until his passing in 1873. He presided over the Senate trial of President Andrew Johnson during the impeachment proceedings of 1868. Despite his judicial appointment, Chase continued to aspire to the presidency, unsuccessfully seeking the Democratic nomination in 1868 and the Liberal Republican nomination in 1872.